How did you come to do what you do?As a busy physician, mother, wife, and daughter, I had been overwhelmed. Taking care of everyone else, I had somehow forgotten to take care of myself. This is probably starting to sound familiar to some of you. One Rosh Hashanah, over a decade ago, my friend from a mommy group suggested that I make challah for the holidays. “To me, it was such an absurd suggestion. How was making a challah going to help?” But it did help - it changed my life, maybe even saved it. For the first time in a very long time, while kneading bread, I stopped.

And then I made it again the next week and the next. Soon I found I was rearranging my life to make challah, often with other women. I now joke that the 11th commandment is “thou shall always have a frozen challah in the freezer” so on those rare Fridays when I can't make challah, we still have some on hand.

In writing a book, I wanted to share with others all that I had learned about how I had found solace - it’s the physician in me, always trying to train and heal. It’s so important to a have a ritual to help manage stress. 75% of chronic disease is lifestyle driven - and with small modifications we can change that. Making challah is SIX ingredients in a bowl - everyone can do that!

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition?Passover!I love hosting the Seder, bringing together disparate people, it’s so much fun for me.It’s different now that our kids are older but we have a bowl of chocolate chips and David, my husband, likes to ask questions to get the kids (and adults) involved. When someone answers a question correctly they get a chocolate chip.

What is your favorite food that you associate with Judaism?I’d have to say the challah is most likely my favorite. I’m all about food...I mark all the Jewish holidays by the food. And I only really have positive associations with food, not negative.

Earliest memory of being Jewish?I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and went mainly to private schools. Most kids weren’t Jewish so I was one of the only kids not there on the jewish holidays. We had dual identities, really, because assimilation and fitting in was so important, but, then, on the Jewish holidays it was felt how we were, in fact, different.

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life?Making challah has spilled into the week. I had some trial and error with baking the perfect challah and found the recipe worked better if I didn't add all of the flour at once - after all, it's always easier to add something than it is to take away.

I also learned about the Modeh Ani. I try to say it every morning, not always successfully, but I try. It’s grounding - the acknowledgement and gratitude - I am here for another day.

What are you most excited about in the coming months?Braided has been so well received by so many: it's received some amazing book awards and accolades, and not simply as a Jewish book! I never dreamed we’d be here so I don’t know where we are going, but it’s going to be somewhere cool!

Beth built her medical career around bringing wellness into everyday life, especially for busy women juggling work, children, and their relationships. She got her undergraduate degree in art history at the University of Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She trained at Columbia Presbyterian in New York City, worked at Columbia’s Center for Women’s Health, and at the Women’s Health Center at the Cleveland Clinic.

A fortuitous move to Santa Monica, CA allowed Beth to shift her focus from seeing patients to writing, a transformation that has allowed her to reach a broader audience of women on the issues of health and wellness. Beth now sees patients at the Venice Family Clinic.Beth's first book, Braided, was published in 2018.Braided has been named a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award and for a Foreword INDIE award; it has also been named a winner for a Wilbur Award.

How did you come to do what you do?After dropping out of college, I worked in a bakery in Israel when I was 19. I was also a line cook at a café. Cooking was something I loved to do, and was relatively good at, and my family was really supportive like they always are.

How did the idea of bringing Israeli food to Philadelphia come about, and at what point?We realized no one was making the Israeli food I grew up on, and it really just came naturally, from visiting family and bringing it back. I knew I had to translate this food that I loved for the American palate. And that’s how the idea for opening Zahav came about.

After you wrote Zahav, why did you think the follow-up book was needed?Israeli Soul is really about Israel and street food, almost the opposite approach of Zahav.The focus is on simple, everyday Israeli food that’s accessible and approachable.I want people to experience the exotic smells and delicious flavors of Israel, but still be able to recreate them in a small, perhaps ill-equipped NYC kitchen.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition?Eating in a sukkah is pretty amazing. And cheesecake on Shavuot. Shabbat is also a special time that I wish I could celebrate every week, but I have to work at the restaurant.

Favorite food that you associate with Judaism?There is not one particular food, that’s hard to say.

Earliest memory of being Jewish?When my brother was born, I was three and remember seeing him in his little crib. I remember looking at my dad and saying “this is my brother David, and he is Jewish.” That wasn’t the first time that I knew, but it was a very early memory of being cognizant that we were Jewish.

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life? Beyond food, most days I wrap tefillin in the morning and say Shema throughout the day.

What’s on the horizon?There are a couple of exciting projects in the next year, that I’m not yet at liberty to discuss. They are more Israeli-geared and will be here in Philly.

Name: Shannon SarnaProfession: Editor at 70 Faces Media and cookbook authorHow did you come to do what you do?I am not a trained chef, nor do I have any kind of formal journalistic experience. I actually studied Middle Eastern politics and Spanish language & literature at Smith College, and after a short stint doing translation at a law firm and then working at a political lobby firm in Washington, DC, I went on to work as communications manager for Edgar M. Bronfman, of blessed memory. During the time I was working for Edgar’s foundation, The Samuel Bronfman Foundation based in NYC, I fell in love with using social media as a tool for storytelling and messaging. With the encouragement of my supervisor, I really dove into writing and social media strategy and launched a personal food blog, primarily as a writing exercise. After a year, I was approached by MyJewishLearning.com who wanted to launch a food blog, and so seven years ago in October 2011, The Nosher was officially born. Over the years my role has expanded within 70 Faces Media and The Nosher has grown into one of the farthest reaching Jewish food entities on the internet. I am very proud of the diversity of narratives that we share on The Nosher.What’s your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition? Rosh Hashanah is my favorite holiday largely because I love the idea of an annual reset: a time to reflect on the year, and also to set intentions or goals for the coming year.What’s your favorite food that you associate with Jewishness? least favorite?Well that’s easy –challah. I know lots of people – women and men alike – for whom challah baking is cathartic and almost sacred. It doesn’t seem like a real Friday if I am not making homemade challah for my family. I also love love love sabich, the Iraqi-inspired street food that is popular throughout Israel. There are a few places in the U.S. you can get a decent one. And one of my other favorite Jewish foods is actually gribenes! There is just something so fun and naughty about fried chicken skin.My least favorite Jewish food is canned gefilte fish. But there are very few foods I don’t like or appreciate in some way. But that sh$t just looks like wet dryer lint with a carrot on top. Why did American Jewish women decide that a sliced carrot would somehow make that look appetizing??? Baffling.What is your earliest memory of being Jewish?Passover at my grandma’s house and since I was one of only three grandchildren on my father’s side of the family, I was usually assigned the four questions. How do you incorporate Jewishness into your daily life?I joke that our family is, like, really Jewish. My husband is on the board of our synagogue, our children go to Jewish schools and I manage a website dedicated to Jewish food, so Jewishness definitely pervades our daily life in small and large ways. We are lucky to live in an incredibly welcoming, embracing, open-tented Jewish community in New Jersey where many of our friends all go to the same synagogue and really support one another in every part of our lives. I think being part of a strong community is a really, really Jewish concept.What are you excited about in the coming months?I love the start of the New Year, and I am excited for 2019. We just launched a new project with The Gefilteriacalled the Jewish Food City Guides; Putting Jewish Food on the Map which will share in-depth food guides for 12 different cities around the world. And I am so excited that my parenting-focused podcast with Jordan Horn is going to be released this month (in January). The name is "Call Your Mother" and you will be able to download it and subscribe via itunes, stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Other than that, I am hoping to find a little more downtime with my girls this year!

Any tips or tricks for making challah that you can share?

For the Best Challah Ever, Avoid These 7 Classic Mistakes

Flour Matters. Not all flours are created equal, and buying a high-quality flour will make the difference in your dough. I use only King Arthur Bread flour for my challah baking. If you cannot find King Arthur flour, I would recommend buying a bread flour from another reputable company and please, please, please do not just buy the generic flour in the supermarket or whatever flour is on sale.

With Flour, Less Is More. One culprit of dense, doughy challah: using too much flour. Challah dough can be sticky, and so your natural inclination might be to keep adding flour until it’s not sticky any more, which may result in an overly dense challah once baked. Less is more, so before adding more and more flour while kneading, just add a dusting to take the stickiness out. When you have used the amount specified in the recipe, leave the dough alone, knead for 5 minutes and then just let it rise.

Location, Location, Location. Humidity, season, temperature and altitude can all greatly impact your challah baking. This also applies for other yeasted doughs like babka and bread. During warmer months and in more humid/warmer climates, your dough may require a little less water and a little more flour to achieve the same consistency. Same goes for dryer/colder climate or cooler months. And if you live at a higher altitude, the rules are completely different for you. So while a recipe may suggest 5 cups of flour, you need to learn what the challah dough should feel like. Bread baking is both an art and science, and it’s important to understand what your ideal dough consistency should feel like in your hands.

Always Do a Second Rise. “My challah turned out doughy and dense in the middle – why?” This is one of the most common questions I receive about challah baking from friends, family, readers and strangers on the street. When I ask, “Did you do a second rise?” I often get a sheepish “no.”You want to allow your challah dough to rise for 2-3 hours for the first rise (depending on the humidity and outside temperature), then braid or shape it. Then allow it to rise another 30-45 minutes to ensure a light, fluffy and not dense or doughy loaf. But take care not to let that second rise go too long; otherwise your dough will actually deflate and flatten, leaving your strands undefined and the shape and consistency will not be right.

Check Your Oven Temperature. Another classic issue you might have with challah baking is your oven temperature. While your oven dial might be at 350 degrees, all ovens are different and the real temperature might differ from what your oven’s thermometer is reading. Invest in a small oven thermometer (they are cheap) and then you will know once and for all if your oven is accurate. You can then adjust the temperature accordingly.

Don’t Bake On a Baking Sheet. When I first started baking challah, my loaves would end up burnt on the bottom and raw in the middle. And I couldn’t figure out how to get a nice clean bottom. The secret is silicone baking mats. I swear by using silpats, which, while a pricy investment at around $20 each, have lasted me years and years of weekly challah baking. You can also use parchment paper, but whatever you do, do not place those precious challah loaves directly on a baking sheet. They might be difficult to take off, and will be even more prone to burning.

Practice Makes Perfect. Struggling with a six braid? Experimenting with some new flours? Whatever challah challenge you are working on, just remember that Rome was not built in a day and that great bread sometimes takes a lot of practice and precision. And as soon as you have mastered your flour ratio or braiding or oven temperature, the weather is going to change and you may have to adjust slightly. Be flexible, and be forgiving. Even the worst homemade challah is still delicious and perfect warm out of the oven. The joy of challah is making something warm, comforting and steeped in tradition for you and your loved ones, so at the end of the day, just enjoy. And try again next week.

Shannon Sarna is the Founding Editor of The Nosher and a contributing writer toKveller.com, both part of 70 Faces Media. Shannon grew up in upstate New Yorkimmersed in performance and music and surrounded by diverse culinaryexperiences: Her Sicilian-American mother loved to bake, her Ashkenazi-Jewishfather loved to experiment, and her grandfather was a food chemist whopatented Tang among other products. Her writing and recipes have beenfeatured in Bake from Scratch Magazine, Parade Magazine, Tablet Magazine, JTANews, New Jersey Monthly Magazine, Vinepair and Modern Loss.​She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA with a degree in ComparativeGovernment and Spanish Language and Literature and lives in South Orange, NJwith her husband, daughters and rescue dogs, Otis and Babka.

How did you come to do what you do? I wear two hats as an author and public health professional (and a mom to two high-spirited children). I have always had an interest in children's literature and hoped to one day publish my own books. I decided to make the leap when I couldn't find Chanukah books that really resonated with my family traditions or cultural experiences. Many of the books I did find featured established characters such as Elmo, Curious George, or Clifford. Other books really focused on the history of Chanukah and the Macabees. My intention with "The Great Latke Cook Off" was to show a typical family enjoying the holidays and each other. I have learned so much about the world of self-publishing and am excited to continue producing books that families of all backgrounds can enjoy.

My career in public health has always focused on meeting the needs of underserved and high-risk populations. As the director of the Adolescent Health Initiative, I work with a fantastic team to provide training and capacity-building assistance to health professionals around the country to better meet the needs of their adolescent and young adult patients.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition? I think there is something so wonderful and grounding about Shabbat. We don't always celebrate, but when we do, it is a lovely way to pause from weekly distractions and celebrate time together as a family.

What is your favorite food that you associate with Judaism? least favorite? Obviously I have a love affair with latkes! And I'm on "team apple sauce", not sour cream. I also love kugel, matzo ball soup, and I do enjoy gefilte fish. My husband and children do not! My parents grew up eating chopped liver and that is something I have not incorporated into our holiday meals.

What is your earliest memory of being Jewish? I have very early memories of going to my great aunt's house in Detroit to break the Yom Kippur fast. I remember her dining room table being piled with bagels, lox, cucumbers, tomatoes, kugel, and other treats that we couldn't wait to devour.

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life? As an interfaith family (I am Jewish and my husband is Catholic), I am often looking for ways to incorporate Jewish traditions into our routine. To me the practice of tzedakah is something that I really want my children to understand. Not just charitable giving, but the connection to kindness and justice.

What are you excited about in the coming months? I'm doing a mini book tour so I am very excited to connect with other Jewish families in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, and Toronto. Additionally, I have three more children's books in the works and I am excited that "Snow Day at the Zoo" will be released in 2019. I'm also going to become an aunt again and can't wait to meet my new niece or nephew!​​

You Can find Lauren's book "The Great Latke Cookoff" at www.laurenranalli.com, and if you'd like to meet Lauren check out the EVENTS section on her site.​The book is also available at Nicola's Books and Book Bound in Michigan.​

Creating Jewish-positive, but otherwise secular characters, has become increasingly important to me. ​

​Beth AinAuthor

How did you come to do what you do? I started out as a children’s book editor at Scholastic and was always itching to write my own book, because I had always been a writer-type in high school and college. My boss gave me the opportunity to write a historical fiction novel about World War I, as part of the Dear America series, and, ironically, we called it When Christmas Comes Again. I got to live out all my Jewish girl Christmas fantasies through that book—and put my American Studies degree to some good use! Sadly, I lost my job at Scholastic when I was 8-weeks pregnant with my first daughter, Grace. I had loved my job so much, it felt like a huge loss, but in the end it provided me with the push I needed to become a writer. Soon, I was a mom and later a mom to two, but I was also able to develop a freelance writing career, while keeping my novel writing dreams alive with another historical fiction novel for young adults. It was a busy time and I felt that even though I was knee-deep in diapers, I was kind of on my way. It took quite a few more years to develop the idea for Jules and as I tell kids when I speak at schools—quite a few more rejections—but with a lot of support from my agent, Jules would become a reality soon enough!

How does Judaism influence your writing? My writing, and characters, are heavily influenced by Judaism. Though Jules was basically unaffiliated, having to do with my own reluctance to push back against the publisher’s desire to keep her so, her life was what I call, aesthetically Jewish. That was intentional. In my latest novel, Izzy Kline Has Butterflies, Izzy, by contrast, is EXPLICITLY Jewish, by my choice. In the Izzy sequel, The Cure for Cold Feet, Izzy’s Jewish life is brought more to the forefront. Izzy’s pride in that fact is something I care deeply about and I feel grateful that my publisher has encouraged this exploration. Creating Jewish-positive, but otherwise secular characters, has become increasingly important to me.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition? Shabbat. It serves as a touchstone for my family, even when done in a hurry, which is often! Blessing the children, grounding them at the end of a busy week, in something else, something meaningful and unique to our family-it’s important to all of us. Grace recently spoke about our Shabbat traditions in her Bat Mitzvah Dvar Torah, which was really special.

Favorite food that you associate with Judaism? Challah, because…Shabbat. Though, Grace asks for brisket every year on her birthday, which borders on the ridiculous, but I occasionally indulge her.

Earliest memory of being Jewish? Elementary school. The Jewish kids had to line up as walkers on Tuesday and Thursday so they could go to Hebrew school. It felt like a very singular experience, with so few Jewish kids.

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life? Our family is grounded in Jewish values, learning, kindness, being good to others – those basic tenets of Judaism. Jon’s brother is a Rabbi, his father writes for Jewish Week, and the kids go to Camp Ramah. There is plenty of Judaism in the household.

What’s on the horizon?The second Izzy Kline novel is coming out in May, where Izzy will be in Middle School. I also wrote a picture book called “I Was a Hamantaschen,“ which I’m hoping will find a publishing home sometime soon, just so you can all see my nursery school Purim picture on the cover. I also have a more grown-up novel in the works, and a memoir.

Beth runs a school assembly called How to Be a Writer (or Anything Else You Want to Be), focusing on creativity and positivity and perseverance. She also runs smaller classroom workshops focusing on the butterfly moments/poetry writing she developed in writing Izzy Kline Has Butterflies in verse format. ​Learn more: bethain.com

​During this time I learned that you don't have to live in Israel but Israel teaches you how to live

​Joan NathanCookbook author and newspaper journalist

How did you come to do what you do? After graduating from Michigan, one of my first jobs was at NBC, where I took a summer vacation to Israel. Mind you, I didn’t want to go. My father was a Zionist and I guess you can say that was my own form of rebellion. Well, I loved it. I stayed in Jerusalem for 2 ½ years, which were really my formative years. During this time I learned that you don't have to live in Israel but Israel teaches you how to live. The intensity of the political atmosphere reminds us of the preciousness of life and the importance of seizing the moment. I ended up working for the mayor of Jerusalem, where I met Ben Gurion and Golda Meir; and during that time I also wrote my first cookbook, The Flavor of Jerusalem.

King Solomon’s Table is just as much a history book as it is a cookbook, tell us more about what inspired thatWhen I visited India, I saw a sign in a synagogue that said “Jews have been in India since the time of King Solomon.” That initial discovery in India made me realize that Jews have circled the globe and that Jewish food dates back earlier than we had originally thought. That trip inspired me to explore, in a very academic way, what makes Jewish cooking unique.

How has your own cooking evolved from your first book to the most recent one?Each of my cookbooks is like a master Thesis, and has reflected where I was in life. My first book reflected where I was in my late 20s, a period spent living in Israel, visiting people’s houses, and being fascinated by the people and the food. I didn’t know much about Judaism during that period, and I wasn’t mature enough to understand what jewish food really meant at that point. King Solomon’s Table really is decades in the making and celebrates our history and our culture.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition? Passover! We have 40 people of all ages at our house. And it’s hard to do, and everything on the table is mismatched, but every time, we do it. I make gefilte fish, and five different charoseths to show where Jews have been, and we do the same play after we read the Hagaddah, and that’s become our tradition. So you can put food on a table, but the traditions are what make the memories for children. That’s probably why the traditional recipes are still around: people like the old, because everything else keeps changing.

Favorite food that you associate with Judaism? I love making challah. I like that It comes out differently every time. It also makes Friday night special, in an instant.

Is there a jewish food you don’t enjoy cooking?I’m not a huge fan of honey cake, I just don’t like the taste of honey.

Aside from culinary, how do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life? Israel is a big component. Also Shabbat dinner, whether at our house or others’ houses, is something we try and do every week. But I also read a lot of stuff that’s Jewish and although our home is not kosher, we do observe some kashrut rules (no pork, no shellfish).

After reading King Solomon’s Table, what would you like people to come away knowing about Jewish cooking?First, that Iraq is the center of all Jewish food. Babylon and later Baghdad were, at one time, the center of the world: the rabbis were there, commerce was vibrant, and life was good. In 1930 there were 50,000 Jews in Baghdad, which by the late 1940s was close to 130,000. The other is that Jewish food has always been the one global cuisine. We are founded on this notion of gathering of people, even King Solomon’s wives came from many different places. Jews at that time had been merchants, vintners, bakers, wandering the world, and were being expelled from places. As they moved from place to place, they had to regionalize their food and adapt while ensuring they were following the dietary laws. The history of Jewish food is almost like a history of the world's food. That’s what makes our cuisine so very rich.

What’s next for someone who’s always curious and never stops learning?I’ll be working on a book of essential Joan Nathan recipes, a best of, which won’t be easy.

What’s your favorite hanukkah dish you’d like to share with our readers?These Green Chile Relleno Latkes were created on a Hanukkah night in the hills of Placitas in northern New Mexico at the home of Tom and Joanne Ashe, avid cooks who are always having family gatherings.

King Solomon's Tablewill make a great addition to your cookbook collection, or a wonderful gift to someone who has everything. ​

How did you come to do what you do?After college, I was working for an accounting firm and started doing comedy at night and wanted to make it more legitimate. I didn’t want it to just be a hobby, so I kept going to different open mic shows and amateur nights. For the most part, I was not getting paid but stuck with it. After 18-19 months, I quit the accounting firm and got other jobs that provided me more flexibility and allowed me to have some money – waiter/substitute teacher/doorman at a bar or restaurant (low profile jobs that didn’t pay much but gave me the time to do the shows)

How does Judaism influence your comedy style?I take certain facts regarding Judaism and certain knowledge of Judaism and infuse them into the show. I have some jokes about being Jewish and am comfortable being talked about as a Jew. But I never make it the butt of the joke and never belittle Judaism or insult it. As an example, I’ve told a story about a friend who was trying to tell me about a documentary she watched, about Hitler and his…shenanigans, because she couldn’t think of the word atrocities. I talk about being Jewish and the way I was raised and how I always wanted Christmas. My mother was set against celebrating anything Christmas-oriented in case her mother would come for a surprise visit, which was ridiculous because she couldn’t drive.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition?Passover was always fun – the Seder at the house growing up. Having the meal and going through the rituals of the Seder. I enjoyed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur from the perspective of going to Temple and seeing how seriously everyone took it and all the tradition in the High Holidays, but Pesach is my favorite.

Favorite food that you associate with Judaism?Matzah Balls. There are other things people make with matzah that I also enjoy, like matzah brei.

Earliest memory of being Jewish?When I was 5 and all the Jewish kids would stay after kindergarten and learn about being Jewish for the Holidays. It was how I first understood that I was Jewish and different and had this uniqueness about me.

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life?I see myself as such a Jewish person and it’s a part of my identity, but I don’t celebrate Shabbat or eat kosher. It’s just who I am. I try to uphold the traditions I can, but I’m not very observant.

What’s the most surprising thing about life on tour, or that a fan has done?I drove home from a show an hour and a half away. I was staying at my mom’s on NYE and two young women followed me the whole way home, supposedly because one of my shoes fell off the top of my car so they brought the shoe back. I asked why they didn’t just flash the brights to make me stop and they actually said they didn’t want to frighten me. This, to them, was the less creepy option. I’m always surprised that there are people who wait a long time, sometimes hours, after the show to meet me and to me that’s really beyond what I think I deserve. I’m always flattered by that.

Gary Gulman’s Netflix special, “It’s About Time”, is out now, and laugh-out- loud funny. We also highly recommend checking when he’s coming to a town near you.

Name:Amy KritzerProfession:Culinary Blogger and AuthorHow did you start doing what you're doing? I relocated from NYC to Austin, TX in 2009 and did what everyone does when moving to a new city: started a job, made new friends, and even went two-stepping. But, while I found I was liking my new surroundings, I was not overly challenged professionally. When I was bored at work, I started reading food blogs and decided to start my own. My original idea was for a dessert blog, but my brother redirected me to concentrate on Jewish foods. I launched near the end of 2010, around Hanukkah time, with a twist on latkes (sweet potato latkes and applesauce). The recipe received great feedback and I built on the initial momentum by entering a small business competition, adding freelance work, and eventually publishing a cookbook. The website ModernTribe did not come until later, when the existing site became available for sale and my brother and I decided to purchase it. That move has allowed us to learn about eCommerce and internet sales.What's your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition?I love Pesach and the Seder. I love to host, and this year had 15 guests at the Seder. Really, anyone who wants to come can come, whether Jewish or not. I love sharing and teaching about my religion and traditions. For Pesach cooking, specifically, I also like the challenge of the food restrictions.What's your favorite Jewish food?Living in Texas, I’m a huge fan of brisket (In Austin, it’s usually smoked whereas in Ashkenazi cooking it’s braised). I approach Thanksgiving like I do the Seder, in that anyone who wants to come, can. This year, I made my bourbon and coffee braised brisket and even the Texans had to admit that it’s legit. But when discussing favorite foods, I also must throw in a sweet, given my love for dessert, and rugelach is one of my favorites.What's your earliest memory of being Jewish?Baking with my Bubbe, and conveniently disappearing when it was time to clean up. My favorite things to make with my mom and Bubbe were rugelach and blintzes.How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life? I’m involved in Austin’s Jewish community, sure, but I truly live, breathe, and eat Judaism as my life and work, through the websites. The part that doesn’t often get highlighted is the joy I get from emails and feedback on how people connected more with Judaism through the sites, either because of a recipe or because of an item they purchased through ModernTribe. Visit Amy’s site, whatjewwannaeat.com, for awesome recipes, and check out her Instagram page for some of the most mouthwatering pictures!

Talking to real people about their stories was invaluable training for what I do now as "reality" producer

​Name: Lauren Eskelin

Profession:EVP Programming, Truly Original. I am currently executive producing: The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Potomac, Don't Be Tardy, Shahs of Sunset, and Summer House, all for Bravo. ​I have also proudly produced The It Factor, Engaged & Underage, and Princesses: Long Island. I love what I do.

How did you come to do what you do?I watched a lot of TV but I loved movies. I studied filmmaking in college, and after graduating, I was looking for a film production job when I met a TV producer who hired me as her assistant. I went on set with her and I also scoured newspapers, magazines, book galleys, etc. looking for real stories to tell as scripted TV movies. Talking to real people about their stories was invaluable training for what I do now as "reality" producer.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition?My favorite Jewish holiday is Passover and the Seder. It's all about the storytelling, although this year our family Seder was abbreviated beyond recognition! I also love symbolism and a gorgeously set table.

What is your favorite food that you associate with Judaism?I honestly don't have an affinity for Jewish food. I've never outgrown my childhood distaste for gefilte fish, chopped liver, and kasha varnishkas. However, I never met a matzo ball I didn't like.

What is your earliest memory of being Jewish?It must have been when I was about 7 or 8 at my grandparents' for Passover. I drank some wine and went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and thought "I'm drunk!" After that I suppose I was most connected to my Jewish roots when I was 10 and went to Israel. My most recent connection to my Jewishness was when I "wrote" a Hebrew letter in the Torah with a scribe. Suddenly I was crying tears of joy. I was (and still am) quite shocked by how moved I was by this, but I deeply felt a very strong connection to our forefathers/foremothers and our covenant.

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life?These days my Judaism is expressed in the form of planning my son's Bar Mitzvah in Israel.Of his own volition, he has a very strong Jewish identity. A lot of planning is going into it and I'm excited to see him in his element.

Each new exploration and every new contact in my Kosher Like Me sphere enriches my own perspective as a proud Jew

Name:Liz Rueven, Westport, CT

Profession:Food Blogger and Chief Nosher at www.kosherlikeme.com

How did you come to do what you do?When I explore stories in the Jewish food world I get a kind of buzz of discovery, much like I did when I studied art history and discovered some hidden detail in a painting. Uncovering stories about food entrepreneurs, chefs, the background of a recipe or why we eat certain foods during holidays, really gets my engine going!

Because I keep kosher by eating only vegetarian and fish when I'm away from my own kitchen, I began to examine menus and chefs’ attitudes more closely before choosing where to eat. When friends started asking me for recommendations, I realized that there are lots of like-minded eaters who are looking for similar restaurant experiences.

So the blog really started out as a way to highlight restaurants that meet my criteria forvegetarian-friendly menus. But Kosher Like Me has blossomed into a platform for different kinds of information and inspiration. Now I share my experiences ranging from what I cook in my seasonal kitchen to how to navigate farm dinners. I share cookbook reviews, explore new food products and trends, and share timely information about foodie events that I consider not-to- be-missed.

What is your favorite Jewish holiday or tradition?I love Pesach for the universal reminders about how we should value freedom and examine its relevance and importance each year. I also appreciate the deeply rooted food traditions and restrictions, many of which I learned more about when I co-authored a Pesach e-book with three other food bloggers from very different backgrounds.

What is your favorite food that you associate with Judaism?I’m a sucker for a traditional dairy noodle kugel but only with full fat dairy, please!

What is your earliest memory of being Jewish?My earliest memory is of dressing up like Queen Esther at about age 4. I was very proud to bear her namesake (my Hebrew name and that of my paternal grandmother). The rabbis at our wedding had a real ball when they married this Esther to Mordechai (my husband’s given name, although he’s always used a nickname).

How do you incorporate Judaism into your daily life?Keeping kosher full time is a fairly recent commitment which my husband and I decided to embrace together. Making Kosher Like Me choices prompts me to consider what to eat with greater awareness.

In the past couple of years, as my blog grew, I decided to avoid using social media on Shabbat. I highly recommend it to all who feel too plugged in. Taking 24 hours off each week is a great way to restore.

My work in the Jewish food world has led me to meet a wider swath of friends than I everexpected. Among them are farmers, chefs, food entrepreneurs, influencers and thought leaders, editors, photographers, writers, vintners, students and small business owners.

Each new exploration and every new contact in my Kosher Like Me sphere enriches my own perspective as a proud Jew.

​If you didn’t know that this savory, vegetarian galette is symbolic you’d think it was just another tasty baking project with seemingly unrelated ingredients.But you’d be wrong.Liz has kindly shared with us her seasonally inspired recipe for this jammy galette with goat cheese, silan (date honey) and olives.